With Hoboken mops still wet from yet another water wain break just last week, crews today installed the first sections of 12-inch pipe to replace the century-old water mains on the city’s main drag—part of the $17.5 million Washington Street redesign project.

“This investment will move Hoboken towards a more resilient and reliable water main system,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Beyond the initial $12 million investment in our water system that we are making, we are planning to make at least a $5 million investment every year in order to ensure Hoboken has a reliable system.”

The City’s infamous water main woes stem from a 30-year contract between Hoboken and SUEZ implemented back in 1994 (quick math—expires in 2024) which requires SUEZ Water to make almost no proactive investment in our water infrastructure.

“Unfortunately, Hoboken is facing the result of financial mismanagement from the past together with a complete lack of investment in infrastructure going back decades,” says Mayor Zimmer. “Now that we have resolved the city’s serious financial problems, we are in a strong position to continue making long-overdue and critically-needed annual investments while also keeping our taxes stable.”

While the proposed redesigns of Washington Street have at times been contentious, particularly the debate over bicycle lanes, one thing that most Hobokenites can agree upon is that the water main situation needs to be resolved. Under the current plan, all of the old water mains from Observer Highway to 15th Street will be replaced.

“It is important that the service lines be upgraded as well so that we can prevent having to dig up Washington Street after it is newly paved,” explained Mayor Zimmer.